Sleeve for 13 year old. Doctor recommendations Mexico

[slcmommy5 228]

Let me preface by saying we have done everything we can to help our daughter. Dr.'s, nutritionists, personal trainers etc, since she was 8. Nothing has worked. We think she's beautiful the way she is! This is something she has wanted and been begging us for! She wants to enjoy her teenage years, make friends and enjoy life. She doesn't feel like her physical appearance reflects who she is in the inside and feels like it holds her back. She is very depressed and begging us for surgery. We cannot afford a US doctor. I need to know who you would go to in Mexico if this was your 13 year old. This would be for sleeve.Please I don't need mean or critical comments. Thank you

[Water Nazi 61]

I think she's lucky to have an available affordable option.

I liked my Dr. perfectly fine.

Dr Elias Ortiz thru A Lighter Me

Best of luck, W

[Kindle 8,667]

Would you consider lap band, instead? This could help her learn healthy choices and to lose weight and yet not affect her physically for the rest if her life. That would leave her options to have the band removed once she's reached goal and still have the sleeve if she chooses to do it as an adult.

Here is a link to Obesity Control Center's surgical options page for adolescents http://www.obesityco...s-surgeries.php

You may contact Dr. Ortiz to discuss your daughter's best option.

[slcmommy5 228]

Thank you for all of your responses. The first thing I need to say is that I would never consider surgery unless I had exhausted all other avenues for weight loss including medical, emotional, physical, psychological. We have reached a point where I feel like this is our last and only option. Some may say I'm unnecessarily risking the life of my daughter, but I feel like if we don't do the surgery I'm risking her life as well. She has just developed diabetes, she went from being the happiest little girl to a girl who is depressed and cries every day because of her weight. She has been bullied, tormented, and teased every school day since she was 7 years old. Of all 5 of my children she has been the one who ate veggies and fruits, she was also my most active yet she has continued to gain about 2 pds a month for the last 6 years. We have had her thyroid checked, multiple labs and nothing explains what is going on. The only thing that explains it is that she says she's hungry all the time 24/7. So even though she knows what to eat, what not to eat etc, it doesn't help if you are always hungry. You just end up being cranky and angry at having to limit portion sizes when your body is telling you your hungry. For all of you who have had surgery or are considering it, imagine how hard it is for you now as an adult, can you even imagine the torment of being obese as a teenager? It's hell. Kids are cruel and it's not right that she should have to endure comments day after day. I got the sleeve 8 mths ago, it has changed my life. She sees this, she has seen what it has done for me including the fact that I am happy and healthy now. I was hungry all the time, and now I'm not, I have to remind myself to eat. All I want as her mother is for her to be happy. And if she continues down the path she's on, I may not have her for much longer. She is in a place where she doesn't even leave the house. She has become a different person .If things don't change I can see not only physical dangers in her future but emotional and psychological damage as well. I want her to live a life where she can make friends based on her personality, not on her physical appearance, where she can focus on the normal teenage stuff and not about her diet. She just turned 13 and is 200 pds.

As far as Mexico goes I'm still uncertian. The reason I posted this was because I was curious how many people would actually recommend a doctor from Mexico. It seems interesting to me that so many people will"risk" their own lives going there but not willing to recommend one for a 13 year old. Why is it different for an adult vs. a child? If you couldn't lose the weight as an adult what gives you the right to judge a teen who can't do it? It's interesting how hypocritical some people have been. I have in no way jumped to this decision. We have been praying and researching it for months. We've exhausted everything we have to help her and nothing has worked. Of course I would do everything in my power to see a U.S. Doctor but when you have 5 kids and make $30K a year it's quiet impossible to fork out 20K for the surgery. 8K will not be easy as it is. She has seen me go through the surgery, she knows what it entails but if anything I think the longer you are overweight, the longer you do the yo-yo dieting the harder it is to start thinking differently. If she does this now it will be easier to develop healthy eating habits and healthy emotions in regards to food. Not only that the fact that it wont be painful for her to exercise will be huge. She loves to exercise but right now it's extremely painful and embarrassing for her.

I appreciate everyone's comments, but I would politely ask that you look at yourselves and realize how hard it has been as an adult and ask yourselves just how much harder it would be if you were a teen. I love my daughter but I want her around and I want her to be happy. If I dont do the surgery she may not be around much longer and she certianly will not be happy.

[NothingUpMySleeve 244]

I thought Dr Illan with Baja Bariatrics had a calm gentlemanly demeanor that would not be intimidating to a young girl.

For what it's worth, I would not want my daughter to face junior high being heavy. Being bullied doesn't build character, it chips away at you.

Dr Illan has a Facebook group and there is one other younger girl on there, maybe 17 or 18? It is a very supportive and non-judgmental group.

[NothingUpMySleeve 244]

I'm also in the SLC area, as is one of my friends who used dr illan. Feel free to message me if you have questions.

[andreamy7 55]

I just know how hard surgery was for me at 39..how does it affect you at 13? Shouldn't she wait at least a few years before exploring this further? Seems very dangerous and I understand she is diabetic, so that is a very real concern to consider. I just think for me that she is so young...at age 14 my mom sent me to survival camp for a month and I was a little chubby and the camp had strict diet policy and the camp was very active. I grew 3 inches and lost about 25 lbs while there and was a normal weight from 14-24 years old. It was after 24 that my habits got worse and I started eating and drinking out of control. I just think if she is still growing there could be a chance she could lose on her own? Why not wait a couple years and see?

[sassypants 674]

There is a non surgical option barely talked about because its not a long lasting option at all.
I talked about it and considered it when I was 350lbs.
They put 1-3 medical grade plastic balls in your stomach and inflate them restricting the space just like any of the wls options at max you can have them in 4 months before they have to come out and either you don’t need them again or you can have them in again after a month or 2.
How they are put in is via your mouth non medical terms here stick a tube down there feed the ball down once its in the stomach inflate it done, they come out the same way deflated and taken back out.
You have to moderate eating habits or you will be sick as they take up over 50% of the stomach space you get the full feeling on smaller amounts of food just like any of us as you always are half or more full all the time with the balls.
Also its meant to be a tool to retrain the brain on learning the real full signals and not the eating too fast head hungry thing.
We all kinda learn that stuffed/bloated is our stop full and even then we may or may not take a few more bites it depends on your eating habits, this is NOT the real full signal we should be going by.
We all learn/retrain the brain what the real full signal is after one of these ops we have no choice, this could be just what she needs.
Also I know this is sensitive I was indeed one of them kids I was put in hospital at a young age not even my teens for 3 months to help me so I know how sensitive this is so don’t take this wrong please- it’s a highly emotional thing you said your daughter is upset a lot of the time maybe shes emotionally eating so shes always hungry because shes always trying to deal with her feelings.
Maybe shes not always hungry maybe shes just using her coping mechanism which is food.< br />

[CBT 450]

Do all WLS surgeons do pediatric surgery? That might narrow your options quite a bit?

[CoreyCan 95]

My daughter is 16 and getting surgery April 16. She's been "obese" since she was 8 and is now "morbidly obese". She's been teased to tears and begged me to let her get it done now so she can have her last year of high school feeling "normal". I know one had said how hard it was at 39, how would a 13-year old handle it. Well, I'd just say I think it would be easier for a 13-year old with only 5 years of bad habits built up, than a 39-year old with say 31 years of bad habits. I'm not sure I agree with 13, only because of puberty and other physiological issues but if you have a reputable doctor telling you it's a good idea, he certainly would know more than me (and everyone else

[shaza1963 71]

A don't know much about surgeons in Mexico but I read an article about Dr. Alvarez doing the sleeve on a 12 year old with wonderful results. I wish you and your daughter the best.

[LBD 121]

I completely understand the fact that you want desperately to help your daughter, but you might want to consider waiting a bit to see if your insurance status changes in the next few years. My hesitation is a result of my own personal experience with weight loss surgery, and I too have a thirteen year old child & feel like I'd want to know both the good and the bad so it's important that I share my story with you. I've been overweight since I was about your daughter's age and yes, my weight really did effect my quality of life for decades. In 2007, I decided to have gastric bypass surgery, which as you know is also a laparoscopic procedure. The surgery was attempted by a well respected American doctor who was head of Bariatrics at a center of excellence. Unfortunately, he made a mistake when inserting the laparoscopic tool and cut my aorta. I had no blood pressure and lost 7 units of blood. Fortunately, my doctors opened me up so that the vascular surgeon who was already scrubbed up and ready to perform another surgery was brought in to graft my aorta. I often wonder if I had my surgery at a clinic in Mexico, and the necessary specialist wasn't there to assist, would I still be alive today? Not sure... It was a close call for me even with an amazingly talented surgical team plus the vascular surgeon jumping in to save the day. My intention is not to frighten you, rather as a parent myself, I would want to ask all the "what if" questions before going to Mexico, and personally, I would definitely consider a major medical center only. Six years later, in 2013, I decided to have a vertical sleeve gastrectomy, which was obviously a hard decision to come to. A wonderful surgeon, (who had helped to save me after the head surgeon's screw up) wanted to make things right & performed the surgery this past October... Same great hospital & thankfully no problems at all this time. Although rare, mistakes do happen, so I recommend that you take your time, ask lots of questions, and weigh all your options. Best of luck to you and your family!

[LBD 121]

There is a non surgical option barely talked about because its not a long lasting option at all. I talked about it and considered it when I was 350lbs. They put 1-3 medical grade plastic balls in your stomach and inflate them restricting the space just like any of the wls options at max you can have them in 4 months before they have to come out and either you don’t need them again or you can have them in again after a month or 2. How they are put in is via your mouth non medical terms here stick a tube down there feed the ball down once its in the stomach inflate it done, they come out the same way deflated and taken back out. You have to moderate eating habits or you will be sick as they take up over 50% of the stomach space you get the full feeling on smaller amounts of food just like any of us as you always are half or more full all the time with the balls. Also its meant to be a tool to retrain the brain on learning the real full signals and not the eating too fast head hungry thing. We all kinda learn that stuffed/bloated is our stop full and even then we may or may not take a few more bites it depends on your eating habits, this is NOT the real full signal we should be going by. We all learn/retrain the brain what the real full signal is after one of these ops we have no choice, this could be just what she needs. Also I know this is sensitive I was indeed one of them kids I was put in hospital at a young age not even my teens for 3 months to help me so I know how sensitive this is so don’t take this wrong please- it’s a highly emotional thing you said your daughter is upset a lot of the time maybe shes emotionally eating so shes always hungry because shes always trying to deal with her feelings. Maybe shes not always hungry maybe shes just using her coping mechanism which is food.

Wow- this is interesting. Never heard of this option before. The only thing is that it doesn't effect the production of ghrelin, so I also wonder if people are able to keep the weight off long term. Seems like it would be a good kick start for a young person at the very least, who might choose to opt for surgery sometime in the future.

Edited February 22, 2014 by LBD

[elfnow 277]

They've tested for Cushings? because dang that poor girl sounds like me on prednisone... Did she have to do a 24-hour urine test?

Your poor little girl. Whatever you guys decide WILL be the right decision but will also be hard. Other kids are so cruel!! If it were surgery or suicide I'd be on a plane to Mexico, too. My only worry is that she's not fully grown yet, but that's for a doctor to sort out, not some random on the internet.

you are doing the right thing by researching all these options. Hang in there!!

[xmasbpig 7]

My five year old niece weighs 85 pounds. I have always struggled with weight and seeing her cry due to the teasing makes me physically ill. VSG is the best thing I could have done for myself and I am already wondering how old she has to be for WLS.